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Rare Large Tabwa Buffalo Mask
Wood, raffia
Democratic Republic of Congo
High 55 cm.
Rare Large Tabwa Buffalo Mask. Tabwa people lived under Luba domination in small villages, in the south-eastern part of central African border on Lake Tanganyika. They have two types mask, and they were used during fertility rites. The first one is a male mask in the shape of a buffalo’s head and the second is a female in the shape of a man’s head. During the ceremony the buffalo dancer is accompanied in his performance by an other dancer wearing the female mask, and together they represent a mythical couple. This outstanding sculpture of a buffalo head with spreading horns represent the best know Tabwa mask. The present example embody the masculine spirit, and the artist who carved this mask has captured the solidity of the buffalo perfectly.
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